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Hydrogen Ship: Hydrogen era has started in India. The country’s first hydrogen ship was launched from Varanasi on Thursday.
Hydrogen Ship: Hydrogen era has started in India. The country’s first hydrogen ship was sent from Varanasi to Haldia (West Bengal) on Thursday. In this way India has joined the select countries of the world. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday launched the commercial operation of India’s first indigenous hydrogen vessel from Namo Ghat in Varanasi. The operation of the ship is considered a big achievement for the country. Its technology and environment-friendly capabilities were appreciated at the ceremony. Sonowal said that this hydrogen-powered ship reflects India’s growing technological capabilities and its commitment towards sustainable energy. He said that this is not just technological progress, but it is a sign that we are moving confidently towards green energy and indigenous solutions. The minister said that it is a matter of national pride that India has now joined the list of countries like China, Norway, Netherlands and Japan which operate ships running on hydrogen.
Hydrogen engine is an emerging technology
Said that this has been possible due to the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister. Said that the speed and approach with which progress has been made in every sector has ensured that inland waterways are now playing an important role in India’s development path. On this occasion, many public representatives including Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh, Minister of State for AYUSH, Food Safety and Drug Administration (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Mishra and Minister of State for Stamps and Court Fees and Registration (Independent Charge) Ravindra Jaiswal were present. Sonowal said that this development is an important step towards India’s green energy and indigenously developed technology solutions. He said that hydrogen engine is an emerging technology that provides clean, sustainable energy with almost zero emissions. However research and testing is still ongoing before full scale commercial use. Highlighting the expansion of this sector, the Minister said that in the last decade the number of National Waterways has increased from five to 111. Freight traffic on inland waterways has increased from 80 million tonnes in 2014 to over 145 million tonnes currently, while tourism activities operate on 13 waterways.
2,200 crore schemes for waterways
He further said that the foundation of this transformation was laid by the Jal Marg Vikas Project, which created a modern shipping corridor from Haldia to Varanasi on National Waterway-1. Which includes multimodal terminal, advanced equipment and community jetty. The minister said projects worth more than Rs 300 crore have already been completed in Uttar Pradesh for waterways development, while projects worth about Rs 2,200 crore will be launched in the coming years. According to an official statement, the hydrogen vessel initiative is part of the ongoing modernization of India’s inland waterways under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, who has prioritized clean transportation, better connectivity and public convenience. The minister said that in recent years the Central Government and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) have expanded shipping channels, opened modern terminals and commissioned new passenger and cargo routes to strengthen water-based communications and reduce logistics costs.
